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Pao
Overview :: In this chapter, the planet of Pao is laid before you, beginning with its creation. This chapter doesn’t contain any rules or mechanics, and is considered non-reproducible setting information under the Open Gaming License. Creation *In no time, there was nothing. Suddenly, the four gods existed, and reflexively created the universe. They descended to the planet below and began exploring. *The Penguin God created followers in his own image to make s’mores and retrieve the TV remote for him. The Seal God created followers in his own image to write poems and songs to appreciate. *The Rabbit God created followers in his own image because it seemed like the thing to do. *The Human God decided to do something a little different and created the Orcs, massive and strong bipeds, to fashion great monuments in his honor. When the Orcs proved too dull-witted to grasp the complexities of engineering, the Human God created the Elves, creatures of great intellect. When the Elves proved uninterested in creating monuments to the Human God, He sighed and created followers in his own image. *When the Humans attracted the attention of the Rabbit God, He determined He would embarrass the Human God by improving upon the bipedal Human template in ways that pleased him, and called his improvements “Imps.” *The Human God did not appreciate the Rabbit God’s efforts and left the planet to explore the newly forming stars. When the Human God returned ages later, he looked down to the planet and remarked to the Penguin God at how his people had multiplied. *The Penguin God smiled and replied that the Human God should have followed his lead and added birth control to the water. The Human God continued to wonder aloud, mouth agape, that there must be a hundred thousand of his followers walking the planet. The Penguin God responded with a grin, “That’s nothing; there were two billion before the Collapse.” The Planet of Pao *Pao has three large continents; the two smaller of which are north of the equator, and the largest of which is mostly below the equator. Each continent has suffered its share of magical disasters, though these events are furthest in the past in both the New and Old Worlds, which have largely recovered and become safely habitable. The most recent of these large-scale magical disasters is known as The Collapse. It occurred on the Southern Continent, which is legally referred to in all government documents as named after the ruling Roaman monarch. It has most recently been called Rebeccaland, and is now known as Jacquiland. Languages *The first language on Pao was Penglish, the native tongue of the Penguins. Though the other peoples of Pao have regional and cultural languages unique among themselves, anyone who participates in wider society speaks English. Derived from Penglish, English is essentially the same language, except with the addition of swear words. The Old World :: After the Collapse, most refugees traveled to what they knew as “The Old World,” which they’d abandoned after earlier magical catastrophes had rendered it largely uninhabitable. Here, they built new settlements and prospered in small numbers until the shoemaking village of Roam discovered a means of magic that could not easily escalate into continental destruction. Knowledge of a safer practice of magic gave Roam a massive trade advantage, and within decades, the village grew into a capital that spanned the continent. The ensuing peace was known as the Pax Roamana. The Pax Roamana faltered as the Roamans attempted to reclaim the third continent, which they called “The New World,” from the magically created menace of the Vampires. Though Roam succeeded in neutralizing the Vampire menace and opening the New World to colonization, the costs of that struggle provoked the breakup of the Roaman Empire into smaller political units, leaving the new nation of Roam a shadow of its former glory. Fenway National Park :: Fenway National Park is a great forest with swampy fringes located near the heart of the Old World. While Elves live throughout “the Fen,” as it is colloquially known, the largest population center is the city of Boston at its core. *Boston :: Boston is the political, cultural, and educational center of life for the largest settlement of Elves in the Old World. In addition to coffee shops, bars, and clubs for the university students, Boston also is home to many architecture and engineering firms. The oldest parts of Boston are located in the branches of hundreds of ancient and mighty trees clustered near the center of the city. As the city grew, the swamp below it was drained and the reclaimed land was zoned for expansion. The National Tree The National Government of the Fen is headed by a young dictator selected by the National Advisory Council. The dictator, whose official title is Temporary Dictator, serves a two-year term before stepping down and joining the Advisory Council as a member for life. The Council is entirely made up of former dictators, which keeps the Temporary Dictator on his toes. Should a Temporary Dictator refuse to step down at the end of the two-year term, his citizenship is revoked and he is hunted for sport by the entire population, which automatically receives the day off work. In the past, the gender distribution of Temporary Dictators has been nearly even. Historically, most candidates selected were full-blooded Elves, but for the last five-hundred years natural born citizenship has been enough to qualify individuals for consideration. *Elven University :: Elven University is considered the premier University on Pao, and draws the best and brightest pupils from across the globe, in addition to rich legacy students. Although their football team hasn’t had a winning season yet, they often beat the spread to the excitement of gamblers worldwide. The Great Desert :: The Great Desert was once the home of the Great Civilization, from which it derives its name. Long before the Collapse, this area of the Old World was the epicenter of a Great magical disaster that rendered most of the continent uninhabitable for generations. Though the rest of the continent has healed, the Great Desert remains largely inhospitable to life, with the exception of a few oases harboring small cities. Indianapolis :: Indianapolis, known as the “City That’s Never Burned,” was one of the first major post-Collapse settlements in the New World due to its prime location as a port easily accessible from the Southern Continent. Surrounded by great and high walls, the city-state of Indianapolis has grown upward rather than outward over the centuries into the most densely populated city on Pao. :: A river divides the city into northern and southern halves. The areas along the river are largely industrial and shipping centers, whereas the areas nearest the wall are largely residential. *The Port of Indianapolis :: The Port of Indianapolis is the largest seaport in the Old World. In addition to cargo vessels, the port also accommodates several large cruise liners. *Downtown :: Downtown Indianapolis is home to the City Council, the financial district, and Carmoly-Wang films. Heroes running around with swords won’t have a hard time finding someone evil here. *Carmoly-Wang Films :: Due to the city’s excellent pro-business tax structure, Carmoly-Wang films is headquartered in Indianapolis. As the pioneer of post-magical filmmaking, Carmoly-Wang is an industry leader that produces sixty percent of all films. As the patent holder of most modern camera and film innovations, Carmoly-Wang additionally receives licensing fees from every sale of video cameras and film. *The Mall :: The Indianapolis Mall is considered the greatest shopping center on Pao. Five stories of shops and restaurants draw mall goths and shoppers from across the city. Dozens of movie theaters show the latest and greatest films. *Past the Walls :: The protection of the city does not extend beyond the Walls of Indianapolis. To the West lies the sea, docks for smaller fishing vessels, and pockets of condominiums. Otherwise, Indianapolis is surrounded by great fields of wheat and corn that feed the population. Roam :: Roam was originally the shoemaking capital of the world, and before that it was a village so small, it only took one day to construct. After a Roaman developed a safer method of harnessing magic and applied it to the development of crops and other basic needs, Roam grew from a cobbling capital to a social and political capital and, eventually, the seat of an Empire. *The Palace :: The palace is home to the Roaman Royal Family, and is constructed atop four grain silos with a plaster facade. Dozens of tunnels radiate outward from the palace and extend for miles as an escape for the often unpopular Royal Family in times of need. *The Shoeseum :: The Shoeseum is an architectural wonder and the tourist center of Roam. Shaped like a giant sneaker, this museum archives and displays the foot-related accomplishments of Roam. A glass sock-shaped pillar extends upward from the building and is brilliantly lit at night. *The Loop :: The Loop is a ring of high-end fashion storefronts located around the Shoeseum. Many of those ground floor storefronts are topped by the professional workshops of their founding fashion designers and hangers-on. Texas :: The largely agricultural nation of Texas borders the nation of Roam to the southwest and York to the East. The Arctic Ocean to the North is cold and impassible for most of the year, so the primary Texan seaport is Wichita at the western end of the Panhandle. :: Texas is divided into two primary geographical regions. The Panhandle is a thin strip of land that extends west to the Specific Ocean and is separated from Roam by a nearly mile-wide river. The rest of Texas is largely sprawling ranches with grazing land for cattle and family farms. *The Panhandle :: The Texan Panhandle is a long strip of land that is known best for its trade road, the Panhandle Path, which connects the port of Wichita in the West to the rest of the country. *Topeka :: Topeka is the capital of Texas and home to the commodities market where the nation’s agricultural products are auctioned and sold for international distribution. *Wichita :: Wichita is the only Texan warm-water port, protected from freezing year round by the currents of the Specific Ocean. Wichita is located at the West end of the Texan Panhandle, and in addition to its role as a seaport, it also draws tourists from all over Texas to its beautiful beaches and amusements. *The Museum District :: Wichita’s Museum District is home to dozens of famous collections of historical, natural, and creative attractions. Tourists tend to be densest here when the midday heat makes the beach less enticing. In the evening, gallery openings and charity events keep the Museum District hopping, albeit with a more refined crowd. *Seaside :: The popular sandy beach is bordered by attractions like carnival rides, t-shirt shops, and a boardwalk. Recreational docks offer rentals of sailboats and trips on fishing vessels. *Port :: The Port of Wichita handles Texan agricultural exports and imports from Cleveland and Indianapolis. Cruise ships frequently travel between here and Indianapolis in the fair seasons. York Shire :: York Shire is a relatively undeveloped region in the Northwest of the Old World. The rural population is made up mostly of subsistence farmers, and the industrial centers mostly manufacture low quality and flimsy objects. *York :: York is the only city in York Shire that can truly be considered urban. The anchor industry of the city is the production and bottling of Orca-Cola, a caffeinated soft drink sold worldwide. The city government is essentially an oligarchy controlled by the Orca-Cola corporation and its primary shareholders. York is also home to dozens of breweries and distilleries, and a few chemical plants with questionable safety records. The New World Birmingham :: Deep in Birmingham forest, this largely Orcish enclave is home to a fireworks factory, several BBQ restaurants, and a heavily armed populace. Lodging in town is generally poor, and the population is barely literate and unbearably xenophobic, though they pride themselves on their hospitality. *Birmingham Bandshell :: The Birmingham Bandshell is located at one end of the BBQ strip and features live entertainment. The most well-attended performances are generally huntry western and meth metal bands. Improvisational wrestling bouts are not uncommon in the audience. *The BBQ Strip :: The BBQ Strip is the widest boulevard in town and is lined on either side by bars that serve BBQ and BBQ joints that sell beer. Moonshine vendors push portable stills down the median and serve pedestrians as they stumble across the street. *The Fireworks “Factory” :: Before the discovery of meth, the Fireworks factory was the largest gathering of self-employed chemistry enthusiasts in town. The structure was originally built as a coverall factory, but all the fireworks put an end to that quickly. *Taxidermy Museum :: Formerly the dead animals pile—and before that, the petting zoo—this museum is famous for its wide and varied collection of stuffed endangered animals. Cleveland, the Rock City :: Cleveland is separated by a river from the rest of the New World, and was founded as a colonial foothold by the Roamans. The resources of the new world are myriad, and the seaport of Cleveland is always busy. *Cleveland Palitechnic :: Cleveland Palitechnic was founded there to educate and train aspiring Paladins in self-righteous interpretations of the will of the gods. The school’s location was chosen initially for its proximity to the Vampire threat, but has served it well beyond that purpose in the lax attitudes prevalent among local police. The school would have been shuttered three centuries ago due to financial duress, but was saved by a cash infusion contingent on the creation of a Veterinary Academy. This fortunate convergence ultimately resulted in the common adoption of ridable pets by aspiring Paladins. *The Coliseum :: Known colloquially as “The Cleaving Grounds,” the Coliseum is Cleveland’s largest venue for bloodsports and concerts. *The Port of Cleveland :: The Port of Cleveland links the New World to the Old World. As the primary seaport on the continent, Cleveland employs thousands in the loading and unloading of cargo. *The Rock :: The Rock is a particularly large stone located near the center of the city. It has great sentimental value to the population, as it has been the site of many marriage proposals and counteroffers. *The Warehouse District :: The Warehouse District is just inland from the Docks and accommodates the huge volume of cargo moving though the city. In addition to infrequent police patrols and private security forces of varied talent, anyone attempting to stage a heist in the Warehouse District would have to be on guard against Paladins-in-Training on patrol. Detroit, the Rotor City :: Centuries ago, Detroit was the capital of the Vampires, and their forced descent from continental mastery left the city a shell of its former self. Legally a protectorate of Roam, the walled city was used as a mining outpost that heavily employed child labor. The discovery of helium deposits in the mines and resultant invention of airships pushed Detroit into an era of industrial growth and prosperity. *The mines :: Though the mines of Detroit have been worked continuously since the city’s Roaman capture, vast amounts of minerals and precious gases remain. The mines have entrances old and new, and tunnels natural and unnatural. *Purrl Manufacturing :: Recently rebuilt, Purrl Manufacturing is the largest manufacturer of airships and airship parts in the world. Proximity to both mineral deposits and helium allows them to keep prices low, but the owner’s connections in the Roaman military is the true key to their success. *The Washington Monument :: This obelisk once housed a magical sphere that granted the Vampires exceptional speed and strength under the cover of darkness, but it was penultimately subverted to dull their senses and ambitions. This sphere was later destroyed with a hammer by Roaman Minister of Science, Jill Kepler. Lacking any magical importance, the Washington Monument is now the primary air traffic control tower for Detroit. The Tundra :: The Tundra is located in the Northeast corner of the New World. The tundra is frigidly cold and covered in ice and snow year-round. The Tundra is the historic home of the Penguins and the Seals, though finding them without their welcome is difficult for outsiders, and many travelers are lost in blizzards. Several pointless wars have been fought here between the Penguin and the Seals for the amusement of their gods, though the remains of those battles are covered under layers of snow and ice. Legend tells of a great Seal library housing books collected over the ages, including histories, literature, and technical manuals of pre-Collapse societies. If this library did exist, it would be exceedingly well-hidden and well-protected to keep it safe from penguin attack. Jacquiland :: The Southern Continent, known legally as Jacquiland (formerly Rebeccaland), is claimed by the Roaman Royal Family as their domain, but in reality, the continent is almost entirely a post-apocalyptic wilderness inhabited by magical mutations of beasts that defy imagination. The remains of pre-Collapse societies have been largely reclaimed by aggressive plant life, but temples, towers, and ruins still persist after centuries and often contain treasures and magics that can be sold for considerable profit to collectors and governments. Provo :: Provo is the only safe part of the Southern Continent, and even that safety is only maintained by constant guard. The half-moon shaped city is bordered by the Specific Ocean to the north and its great fence to the West, South, and East. *The Adventure District :: Provo’s Adventure District offers adventurers opportunities to seek jobs, buy equipment, and sell treasure. Many representatives of major museums and private collectors have offices here where they conduct day-to-day business with adventurers. Several motels offer lodging for adventurers, who are usually priced out of staying in the resorts. *The Barrier :: Provo’s barrier is the city’s primary defense against the encroach of the wilderness. It consists of five layers. The outermost layers are twenty-foottall chain link fences topped with concertina wire. Immediately inside each of those fences lies a forty foot wide moat. Between the two moats is sandwiched a concrete wall that extends one foot above the water level. This concrete wall serves as the foundation of a third fence—this one electrified. The Barrier extends 100 meters into the sea on either end and has no breaks in its fences or bridges across its moats. Anyone who wants to leave the city must do so by boat, airship, or transport crane. Transport cranes are construction cranes that lift shipping containers full of adventurers and gear from one side of the Barrier to another. Crane tickets are sold for S$10 round-trip. *The Resorts :: Provo’s seaside resorts are glistening high-rise hotels with massive casinos, beautiful swimming pools, and anti-fauna snipers on their roofs. Only the richest can afford to vacation here and often choose to do so to attend nightly auctions of the most valuable treasures recovered from the wilderness. Upscale nightclubs, bars, and theaters provide entertainment all night with music loud enough to drown out the screams of the terrors beyond the Barrier. The wilderness :: Beyond the walls of Provo, the chaotic offspring of a magical apocalypse await. The wilderness is largely impassible due to Swordfishplants and other ubiquitous threats, and the paths that do exist are maintained by local warlords and their militias that have made camp outside the reach of the law. The farmland and settlements that do exist beyond Provo are generally inhabited by those who see no benefit to participating in society as a whole, and are generally unwelcoming to outsiders.